Love Right Where We Are
by blak-cat23
Summary: An annual ball in the Avatar's honor finds Korra struggling to master a skill she's never been taught, thankfully Asami is an all too willing dance instructor.


_People fall in love in mysteries ways, maybe just the touch of a hand _Ed Sheeran

Korra never liked president Raiko, Tenzin instilled that in her early in Raiko's term. Tenzin was biased of course, he had a hatred for politics. But even Korra, with her own political radar hardly tuned at all, had to admit that the president practically reeked of opportunism and campaign funding. Tonight, however, her dislike for him stemmed from a more personal matter. Raiko always strived to be seen with Korra as much as was possible. As Aang had been the defender of the Fire Nation for most of his life, Korra would be Republic City's Avatar and Raiko would be sure to attach his name to hers in the history books. Or he would be sure to come out on top when the press quartered her.

And his newest way of doing that, was a very public invitation for Korra to some ball. Well no, she shouldn't say some ball, it was the Avatar's honor, held yearly and after all she would have been forced into it anyway by Tenzin. But Raiko's invitation did not sit well.

"He's just using me," she fumed while throwing punches at a hanging bag. Tenzin listened quietly as powder jettisoned into the air each time she landed a hit, "He wants to just take more pictures with me at this stupid party to remind people that my numbers are worse than his."

Korra hit the bag again and again and again while her master was silent at the side, eyes watching but his head was still. It was only after the twenty-third hit that she stopped and turned.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean the ball was stupid," she said, her shoulders slumped down, head bowed so Tenzin was out of her eye line, "I just can't stand Raiko!"

She heard a shuffle of feet across stone and the unfurling of a cloak. The weight of Tenzin's hands appeared on her shoulders and she looked up to face him. As tired as his eyes were he smiled.

"I understand, Raiko is not the most honorable man. And this celebration meant to be held in the Avatar's name and celebration of all the Avatar's accomplishments, try to think about that," Tenzin said and let go of her shoulders.

He stepped away and she resumed the hits to the bag one after the other, the chain holding it up rattling as she reconstructed Raiko's face on the surface. After a few seconds she noticed Tenzin still in the doorway, hand rubbing at the back of his neck.

"There is one other thing," he said, "My father—he was quite the dancer and often forced others into it, that being said he did make it a tradition that the Avatar opens the ball with the first dance."

Korra stopped punching the bag before she really realized it and it swung a bit from lasting momentum. She placed a hand on it and turned to face him.

"I have to dance, in front of everyone?" Korra said.

"It's tradition, they actually make quite a big deal out of it," he laughed nervously but Korra's stomach only dropped further. "My father was quite showy, even for an Airbender."

"Great," she muttered, squeezing the bag.

* * *

Korra assumed if she downplayed the information in her mind, it would eventually disappear. She could make an exception, _She_ was the Avatar now, it didn't have to be a big deal, she could just politely decline, or run to the bathroom, or get Bolin to cause a distraction, any number of possibilities that didn't end in her having to get up in front of Republic City's finest and dance her way into a political grave dug by the press.

But they'd dig a deeper grave if she didn't abide. They loved things like this, public outings with the Avatar, taking pictures of her in fine clothes surrounded by rich people. And they would never forgive her for not only denying her that pleasure but for stepping on Aang's toes in the process. He was the golden child of the world, his memory impossible to be tarnished.

"Come on Aang!" she groaned.

She took to pacing outside that night, the lights from the city dimming with each hour that passed. She hadn't even bothered to try and change her clothes, she wouldn't sleep with the images of her tripping all over the ballroom in a week.

With a stomp she popped a mound of earth into the air and hurled it into the sea. She did it two more times before she dropped loudly to the dirt she had just disturbed and groaned again, steam coming out of her nostrils and mouth.

It was another ten minutes before she heard the shuffle behind her and turned, expecting to get an earful from White Lotus guard number whatever. She stood and turned quickly only to knock full body into a slightly taller, undeniably feminine form.

"Oh!" squeaked the voice.

Despite the body's advantage over her in size, Korra's momentum won she toppled into and over the person in front of her ending up on the ground barely holding herself inches from the person beneath her.

"Asami?" she said when she finally got sight of a young woman clad in purple, wavy hair slightly disheveled from sleep or perhaps the fall. The green eyes were unmistakable through all of it.

"Sorry, I should have said something," she said through rapidly reddening cheeks. Korra raised an eyebrow until she realized she was quite literally on top of Asami in her pajamas in the middle of the night. Why that image bothered her she was unsure but she threw herself up with Airbending, the wind sending dust around them.

Once on her feet she offered her hand to Asami who took it gladly, rising up to her and dusting herself off though it was clear she'd have to change.

"What are you doing out here?" Korra said.

"I could ask you the same question," Asami said, giving the mesh material one last brush. "It's past midnight."

"I couldn't sleep."

"So you decided to wake up the island?"

Asami said it sans malice, on the contrary she actually smiled, but it was now Korra's turn to turn red as she tried to bury her head into her shoulders neck first. Her right arm went up to grab her left.

"Sorry about that."

She could have come up with a better response but it seemed to do the trick as Asami just smiled and shook her head. She pulled on Korra's arm and dragged her back down to the floor where they sat facing each other crossed legged.

"What's got the Avatar destroying Air Temple Island rock by rock in the middle of the night," she said calmly.

"It's nothing, honestly, it's just some stupid Raiko stuff," she said.

"You are not about to tell me you woke me up and knocked me into the dirt for nothing, come on Korra," she said.

Korra sighed and looked down at her feet. Asami was cultured and rich and probably knew all about dancing and going to balls. Somehow she found it hard to believe an heiress would find empathy in Southern Water Tribe nobody who grew up with very little social interaction. Still, Asami was far too close and far better at hand-to-hand combat if she tried to get away.

"Raiko made a big public deal out of inviting me to this ball—"

"That Avatar Day Ball?"

"How did you know?"

"Big, public deal?"

"Right."

Asami laughed and Korra had to admire that. If she had this conversation with Mako he'd just nod and say yes at every point he thought she should, that is until it somehow affected his oh so important position at the police station. But Asami's particular brand of making fun of her didn't illicit a reaction of anger from Korra, and it was how she realized it felt safe.

"Go on," Asami said, leaning back, palms flat behind her on the ground.

"Well Tenzin was saying that this party always starts with the Avatar dancing in front of everyone," Korra said, pulling her knees into her chest and resting her head there, fingers pulling at loose fabric on her boots.

"And?"

"And nothing."

"That's all?"

Korra looked up at that with furrowed brow. Asami's face wasn't mocking, it was sincere and genuinely curious.

"You took on an anti-bending revolution, your awful uncle literally ripped your soul right out of your body, you faced down an eternal spirit of darkness, and this is what you choose to be up all night about?" she said.

And when it came out that way Korra could only laugh as her legs loosened up again. She mimicked Asami and sat back, relaxing at her smile.

"I don't dance," Korra explained, "And I don't really like being in front of people like that. I mean the most public thing I ever had to do growing up was bending tests but that was just for the White Lotus. And Aang had to go and make a big deal out of dancing and it's starting to feel like my very own Hundred Years War."

Asami leaned forward.

"It'll only be a few moments, I could teach you some steps," she offered. She seemed to have decided before Korra could answer because she was already on her feet offering her hand to Korra.

"I don't think that—"

"Are you the Avatar or not?"

"Asami, this isn't an element I have to master."

"It is now," Asami said and Korra saw in her head the poll numbers and flashing camera lights and realized she was right.

With the most flamboyant sigh she could muster she rose up to her feet with a clasp on Asami's hand. It was surprisingly more calloused than she'd expected Asami's hand to be, then again she trained all her life in non-bending martial arts. Not too mention the time she spent personally designing prototypes.

It was not until she'd been standing for at least twenty seconds that she realized she still had a hold on Asami's hand. She let go immediately.

"We'll practice a few different things the next few days so you're prepared, we don't know what they'll play," Asami said.

"You mean there's different types of dancing?" Korra groaned.

"Yes, we'll start with a waltz," Asami said. "Now put your hand on my shoulder and give me your other one, I'll lead."

What did leading mean? What was a waltz? The questions only made her want to give Aang's statue a nice hard kick but the questions flew from her mind the second she felt Asami's hand go to her waist. Asami must have felt her tense because she tried to smile.

"Relax."

Korra just swallowed and did the opposite of just that when Asami gave a tug and pulled their bodies closer. Inches stood between them and Korra had not been this nervous since working up the courage to tell Mako how she felt about him.

"When I step forward, you step back," she said and did it before Korra had time to prepare.

As Asami's right foot came forward, Korra's left one moved back out of fear more than anything else. She leaned her torso back in an effort to get distance between her and Asami but the later was having far too much fun with herself. She was smirking more than enough for three people. She moved her foot back and Korra's, as if on a magnet followed suit. Asami repeated the move with the other foot and Korra struggled to make her movements more and more fluid.

They switched at one point, and Korra, unsurprisingly, found it easier to lead the movements instead of follow the unpredictability of a partners.

"Not bad," Asami said, their pair of clasped hands had yet to actually break apart, "You've got leading and following down. Let's try steps now."

Asami readjusted her hands but didn't make a single move to put any distance between them. Korra's nerves were slowly turning into suspicion that Asami was doing this on purpose. She was beginning to see why Mako fumbled around her so often, she had a very singular way of making you feel like an ant in the presence of lion.

"Waltz's go 1, 2, 3," she said and then began to count out just that as she slowly moved her foot to one side then nodded when Korra did not immediately follow.

Next her foot came forward in an s direction and then to the side again, all the way Korra struggled to follow. They went back to their original positions and began again, this time faster as Asami was trying to get the pace up to music. However, Korra's often sure feet were no match for dancing as two moves in her foot caught on her own opposite ankle and she felt pure panic as she toppled backwards.

She made an attempt to let go of Asami but she hung on and echoed Korra's yell as they toppled over once more, this time Asami was the one holding herself off the ground. Korra immediately turned her head to the side, not about to let herself make eye contact with the woman on top of her.

"Well at least this is happening here and not, in front of the entire party, that's what practice is for," Asami said cheerfully but Korra could hear a shake in her voice that she was certain was mirror of her own nervousness. If she had been brave enough to turn and look at Asami, her suspicion would have been proven.

"I think I'm all danced out for the night," Korra said, shuffling a bit to be allowed back up. Asami obliged and moved off her, once again she helped pull her to her feet.

"Fair enough, but we should try again tomorrow, that's just one possible dance you could have to do," Asami said.

Korra cleared her throat and nodded. Asami smiled and bid her goodnight, looking quite pale all of the sudden. Still when Korra turned away she felt a prickle on the back of her neck that may have certainly been green eyes watching her. And she felt a suddenly jolt that told her she wanted Asami to watch her and then a sudden panic that she was looking like an idiot.

She both eagerly awaited tomorrow night and felt her heart ready to burst a few blood vessels at the rate it was going just thinking about it. This was not how she was meant to feel about Asami. And yet it was rising up inside her at an alarming pace until she was sure there would be no going back very soon.

Until that moment, she'd wait for the next dance.


End file.
